a mini adventure

It has been 3 weeks now since I arrived back home.   It does take some adjusting to the "busy-ness" of life.  I have had many catch up with friends.  I have been very busy in the garden -mowing and weeding and the attempt at growing vegetables.  I was lucky the have help in the garden from friends.  I don't think some vegie seedlings like me.  Or is it the slugs or birds that eat them.

A friend asked me to camp at a family property last week end so Myrtle and I went off again but not very far this time and only for a night.  Considering it is November it was a very cold night.  It was lovely in the bush next to a beautiful little creek and cooking over the fire (thank you Laine and Carlie for your company).  We had dahl and rice and a few drinks here and there and choc coconut slice.  (I think my blogs always end up being about food).  And a funny half hour of trying to get a lid off the rice pot that had become stuck and many different attempts to get it off when finally done with the help of Elaine's relatives that had come past to look after the cows.  They managed the fulcrum/lever method  to eventually get the lid off.

getting the bonfire going before restrictions start

The lids off we can rice

yummy dahl 

So I intend to keep having adventures because life is one big adventure and very much what you make off it.

Along the way and home pics

Wannon Falls

Home

Home!!!

After a long drive on Friday (in lots of traffic as it was Melbourne cup weekend) I arrived home about 7pm very tired.
After sleeping at the bush camp spot in Wanonna Falls I went down to the falls for a look - they are quite stunning.  Then drove home through Hamilton, Dunkeld, Lake Bolac (to visit the mum of a friend in Stanley), then Ballarat, Daylesford and cut across country to the highway north.
The country was looking very special this time of year and they must have had a lot of rain over that way.  The south Grampians looked stunning in the morning mist.  I hadn't been to some of these areas before and would like to go back sometime for a look and walk around the Grampians.  There is certainly lots a beautiful place in Victoria so maybe my next trip might be to a Victorian destination.
It is very weird being home after such a long time away and will take a bit of adjusting.
It has taken all day to get everything out of the van so a tidy up tomorrow and then into the garden.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me - it has been such a wonderful experience for me.
I will add some more photos over the next few days.  xxxxxx

Another zoo pic

At Adelaide Zoo

Tootling along

Robe was a friendly little town.  I went to the Caledonian for a drink and dinner (they had a roast and cider special).    It was built in about 1856 I think.  Looks like an old English pub.  It was very busy and heaps of kids all dressed up for Halloween.
  So windy this morning and not very pleasant for a walk.  This is the coldest I have been in about 4 months!  They have some lovely shops and cafe's.  The Providore was very nice and great coffee and sourdough bread.  The caravan park is probably the best I have stayed in over the past 4 months.  Great facilities and really good camp kitchen and great views and right on the beach and a walk into town.  (Seavu caravan park).
Everybody in Robe recommended a drive through Beachport.   I stopped in a little gift shop and the woman there was very friendly and had only opened her business a few months ago.  I will look for her card and mention it was it was a great little place.   It is a pretty little place on the water with a long pier but again very windy and not pleasant for a walk.  It was gusty while driving and very hard to keep the van on the road again.
After Robe I drove through Millicent to Mt. Gambier.  I had been to Mount Gambier when I was 6 years old and I remembered the Blue Lake.  I also drove out to Mount Schank.  It is a volcano hole and you walk up heaps of steps to the top and can walk around it.  Again very windy and I am creeped out by heights but enjoyed the view into the volcano (I think it erupted 5,000 years ago).
I also had a look at the sinkholes with the gardens in them.  A nice town.  Driving out of Mount Gambier through Casterton and Coleraine the countryside was lush and green and cows and sheep munching away.   Beautiful undulating hills - a pleasant drive.  I have pulled up at camps spot 642.  Very nice and off the highway at Wannon Falls. 

Robe is such a lovely place!

Robe - Beach from the Seavu caravan park

Panda at Adelaide Zoo - me in the reflection

Adelaide markets

Dough is an amazing bakery shop at the market and now have cheeses

Not long now

I am sitting in the van overlooking the ocean at Robe.  It is a beautiful little town and I'm looking forward to exploring the place tomorrow.  I am sampling the pickled prawns I bought at Harry's somewhere between Pt Augusta and Adelaide and they are yummy and I think I better have a beer to go with it (thanks to Joe and Tim who gave me their left over beer from CDR - I have finished the left over rum thanks Paul).    It was an interesting drive down through the (or past the) Coorong  (I am not sure what the Coorong is - the land or the water??) .  After I left Tailem Bend you go a way and then there is Lake Alexanda and then Lake Albert on the right and the The Coorong.  Tomorrow I will head for Mt Gambier.  Today I bumped into some lovely people when I stopped to take a photo who were moving from Perth to Queensland.  It is wonderful travelling and meeting people along the way.  They make the trip. 

I had a great time with A & J in Adelaide.  J had her volunteer day at the zoo yesterday and then I went with A to the Adelaide Markets (I just love the markets - all the food and the displays make food so exciting!).  Then A (who likes to have a bit of a bet on the geegees some time) said there was a horse called Barbara Joy racing at Seymour so we had to put a bet on that at the pub and have a cider (a pint - it was huge and I couldn't finish it!).  What happened to the horse you may ask - she came last!    Then we went to the zoo to see the pandas (they are soo cute) and met with J and then off to dinner at their daughter's (Jody)  to see her new place and see her girls (J & A's grandchildren).

I packed up Myrtle this morning after a walk around the neighbour and headed south east. 

The more I travel and see,  makes me realise how much more there is to see!   I am mentally making a list of places already - Kangaroo Island, Flinders Ranges...........  a 4WD would be good too!
 Though at this stage I am a bit tired of driving and Myrtle has done an amazing job of just keeping going.   

Well it has definitely  been an amazing journey and home isn't far away and it will be lovely to be home and again and see my friends and spend time in my garden.  Also it will be exciting to go through all my photos and do something with them. 

along the way

wheat wheat and more wheat

My last Carnarvon banana!   They are smaller, sweeter and they don't spray them. I will so miss the little bananas

.

Coolgardie - what a really wide street - the main highway - I was standing in the middle of it!

Back to Adelaide

Left the Nullabor Roadhouse about 7.30 am Sunday.  Now on Adelaide time (and daylight saving).  My whole time clock is out.  I like the drive east even though it did feel a bit boring at times.  Petrol went down from $1.99 per litre to $1.60 per litre at the next roadhouse along.   Got to Ceduna about midday.  The sun was shining and the water looked beautiful and I parked near the bay.  I had been there 3 years ago in the winter and it was dismall but today Ceduna looked good.  I bought some fish and chips for lunch (King George Whiting) and headed along the road to Port Augusta.  I hadn't been on that stretch before because 3 years before I did the Eyre Peninsula.   It was such a long boring drive through wheat fields and around bends and undulating road for hours and hours.  I listened to an audio book I had downloaded which made the trip more interesting - The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo (we had it in book club but I didn't read it then).   I ended up stopping at Wudinna Caravan Park as I was so tired at 5.30 pm.  When I pulled up I heard my name and there were people there who I had met the previous night at the Nullabor Roadhouse so we all drove the same distance that day.    It was a warm day however cooled down in the evening.   After a beer and a chat with the other campers off to bed.  In the morning I bought petrol and went for a drive through the town.  I stopped at an attractive looking cafe which was Alicia's Cakes and Coffee.  The woman was lovely and assisted by her young daughter and she made me a freshly baked bread roll filled with turkey, cranberry and Camembert.    It was the best coffee I had for a long time.  My next stop was Kimba where there is a big galah and a map saying halfway across Australia.    After that there the landscape changed and then I got to Iron Knob which I remembered learning about in primary school so called into look at the old mining town.  Then on to Port Augusta and arrived there about lunch time and had a look around the shops and then drove onto Adelaide.  The road was quite busy and I saw heaps of police cars.   After driving through the countrside I found the traffic in Adelaide really busy and stressful but thanks to Navman I arrived safely  at Joy and Andrew's at about 6.30 pm.  I called in to see them 4 months ago on my way north so it was great to see them again.

A long straight road

After leaving Coolgardie it was about 2 1/2 hours to Norseman.  I had a walk around there and then headed east on the long road.  I stopped at Balladonia Roadhouse for a coffee and then headed back on the road east.    I got to a free camp spot about 5.00 pm and tucked in for the night.  There were about 6 other vans pulled up.   I awoke with the light this morning and  after a cup of tea and toast I headed along the road again and looked at the clock and it was 5.30 am.  There is a long stretch of road that is straight for  146 ks.  The longest straight stretch in Australia.  I stopped at Eucla for lunch and to stretch the legs.   The time zones are hard to keep track of.  Now on Adelaide time.   It seems like such a long way when on your own and doing all the driving.  It is windy and hard work keeping Myrtle on the road.  Tonight I am at the Nullabor Roadhouse - $27 for a powered site and $1 for a 5 min hot shower.  I have had a beer and feta and biscuits so it think that will be dinner. I was going to open a can of baked beans but it is so windy outside and it would blow out my butane burner and don't feel like lighting the gas inside.   Early start tomorrow and hope to get to Port Augusta. 

Many ks

Tonight I have ended up at Coolgardie (a very ordinary caravan park).  I would have preferred a free camp spot on the side of the road but busy tourist season is over and there was nobody camped in any of them and I don't like staying at those places on my own so drove to Coolgardie and too tired to drive another 40 ks or so.  I am the closest spot to the road but all other sites occupied by mining/construction workers' vans so will just put up with the constant truck noise.  I am so tired I think I would sleep through anything.

It has been an interesting day.  The spot last night was also full of the same van's marked "John Holland" so I will google to see what they do.    (just looked construction/engineering)

I drove through the wheat belt - so many fields of wheat for hours and hours.  A flock of budgies flew into my windscreen.  I am afraid some would not have survied even though my windscreen did.  One was stuck behind my windscreen wiper.   Some were just starting to harvest.  I stopped at Dowerin just because it looked clean and tidy.    Some of the towns look like they have closed up shop.  I suppose many years ago people didn't drive so far and relied on their local vendors but now with internet and more comfortable cars a lot of the little wheat belt towns are empty.  Dowerin looked like it was cared for.  A young man approached me when I parked on the side of the road.  He came out of a shop and explained it was closed for the day due to his brother's wife having a baby but he invited me to look in the shop as he had recently rented it and was going to do it up.  I am not sure if it was going to be a second hand shop or cafe or both.  He explained he had Cystic Fibrosis and was living his dreams and was now living a healthy life and was now an "ideas man" after many previously being depressed and now making the most of things.  He had lots of energy even though he was obviously unwell.  His name was Shane and gave me a CF newsletter with an article in it on him.  It is amazing the people you meet!!!!

I then drove to Merredin.  A big wheat belt town and stopped for a break.  I bought petrol and this lovely woman Pam served me (yes that is right - she puts petrol in the car and cleans your windscreen - it has been over 20 years I think since someone has done that!!!).  She enquired about my van as her son is going to look for one for her.  She was such a gem!  A delight to talk to.

I went through Southern Cross and then to Coolgardie and tomorrow..........

On the road

Today I said goodbye to White Wells and Luke. Fiona, Tanami and Banjo (thank you - it was a wonderful experience seeing your new home in WA - the reserve is the best backyard!)
I so enjoyed cooking the cooking experience.

I was driving through funny places today and strange narrow road.  (Pithara has grain storage but everythingelse has closed down - so sad when a town disappears).    Wubin probably has a population of say 20 but has two roadhouses and a truck exchange roadside area which I think is one of the busiest in Australia with hundreds of trucks there.  I don't think the trucks can travel further south with 3 trailers or something.   I stopped off at Dalwallinuw for some supplies (bakery has good coffee and cakes look good but do not taste good!)   

amazing reflection of the sunset in the beautiful clouds

So many trucks and wideloads on the road - mining related transport.  When I turned off to one road it was that narrow that you had to go off the road when car came the other way or get right off when a truck came because he wanted to narrow road to himself.

I only travelled as far as Wongan Hills as I didn't leave till lunch time and stopped to take photos on the way.  It will be an early start in the morning.

CDR Just about time to go

Waved goodbye to the last group this morning after a 5 am start in the field.  Not many critters this morning as a very cold night and everyone has been in and out to the traps so I think they wised up to us being around.  I love getting up early now (as it is a habit during the whole trip).  Early mornings and the sunrise are so beautiful and you fit so much more into the day.)
Now a bit more cleaning up and then maybe a beer or a red that some of the participants left me!  Thank you to a wonderful bunch of people and a pleasure to cook for (a team effort as I appreciated their help in the kitchen - and the washing up). 

Last meal done!

We had a great bbq tonite.  I may have prepared it (with help of course) but didn't have to cook it.  Paul one of the participants did a great job with cooking the kebabs and rissoles.  I did coucous salad with roasted vegies and a brocolli, feta and pinenut salad.  And lettuce!    I am so full and I think everyone enjoyed it.  We followed that with the apple crumble.  Well I don't think anyone starved.  We had a few drinks and a few laughs and was a great end to the week. 
I went out today with the guys to check cameras and baits (trialling to see if feral cats will take the food - at this stage it doesn't have any poison in it).    Also got to take some photos of the beautiful wubinesence forest  (have no idea if the right word or spelling after wine and port!)   We are going out at 5 am tomorrow to check the traps and close them until the next research time.   Then it will be time to clean out the fridges and clean the kitchen.   They have been a great bunch of people and very easy to get on with. 

Still in the kitchen

Yesterday was very hot - around 40 degrees.  No one was feeling very energetic.

  All the food is getting low and tomorrow everything one goes home.  Last night we had burritos (with chili kidney beans - some one said where's the meat but enjoyed the beans anyway) and all the trimmings - guacamole, corn, lettuce, cheese, bean salad, tomato, and sour cream!   Too hot to cook anything else.  At lunch time they had ham and cheese toasted sangers in the cast iron pans and salads.

Today as I said is the last day.  Again the group were up and out by 5.30 am to see what was in the buckets!

   Coles mucked up the order and left out 3 trays of steak and a roast (no use complaining - they didn't charge us and they are 5 hours drive away!!!)  so less meat so I thought of kebabs with marinated steak and mushroom, onion and capsicum.  Goes so much further when cut in cubes and on sticks.  I got splinters from the sticks.   Also had mince in freezer because the first night I had frozen meat sauce from the last group so I have made rissoles so we are having a barbie again tonight.

We had ripe bananas so another banana cake (with chocolate frosting)  and left over apples so apple crumble and using the left over muesli in the topping.  Also left over zucchinis so zucchini fritters.  Also roasting vegetables to put in a salad.  It has been a busy morning considering I started at 6.30 am!!!  It has been a good week and the cooking easier than I thought it would be. 

Today is much cooler than yesterday and very cloudy and a spot of rain a little while ago but I don't think it will register in the rain gauge.      The journey is nearly coming to an end (gosh that sounds like one of those reality TV shows).  Looking forward to getting closer to home.

I better go and create a salad or two as they will be coming in for lunch soon.   (Then time for a read and maybe a nap)!!!!

That is a little thorny devil that Kate is photographing

Banjo and Tanami

More pics

Looks like I am doing Saturday Night Fever - well it was Saturday night.  sunset at the Granite ridge

Food food food

Mmmmm.  Last night it was thai curry chicken.  I did one green curry and vegies,  red curry satay chicken with vegies, and just a vegie curry.  And rice in the rice cooker which is so easy.  I had help in the kitchen which made it so much easier with so many woks going. 

Today I made chocolate coconut slice with chocolate icing which turned out well.  I am getting used to doubling all my recipes.  We also had heaps of lovely navel oranges so we cut them up and soaked them in syrup in the fridge (sugar, water, orange juice, rum and honey).

We drove out to the granite outcrop to watch the sunset and have a few beers.

Tonight was roasted vegetable risotto (again I had help) and it was great (followed of course with the marinated oranges!

a lost penguin

pics

Tom this is the big yellow thing

letter box

In the kitchen again

Myrtle is all healthy again after her service at Perenjori.  They treated her well and now no squealing belts.  They fixed blown light globes and fixed my window washer that I knocked off when at a car wash in Katherine!     She is all ready for the trip home.
A new group of willing research volunteers arrived on Wednesday night.  Twelve people to cook for this time.  A lovely group from BHP who work in various places in WA.     The food arrives from Perth with the participants so it was busy with unpacking and preparing food and finding room for everything.  Especially their refreshments along with food in fridges.   Another batch of Anzac biscuits went down quickly as well.

 Last night we had a bbq at Stinking Roger's Social Club (the outdoor bbq area).  We had sausages and I made rissoles and did bombay potatoes along with bean salad and spinach, pear and parmesan salad!    Then we had banana cake that I made for Joe's birthday (one of the researchers).   An enjoyable evening but not too late as they all had to leave at 5.30 am this morning to check the traps before it gets to warm and bright.   I made apple, pear and choc muffins yesterday too and it so nice with the new oven.  The old oven I had to slam the door to get it to close and would crank it up and it would still take forever to cook something.  So loving the new stove.

I am reading an interesting book at the moment  Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.  He has written a few books - another one I have read bits of is "Outliers".  

I was up early this morning and have cleaned up in the kitchen and now ready for a walk before it warms up.

Food

my roast vegetable penne

Stats

Blogging is very interesting.  You can get a lot of information like what country people are viewing from and how many pageviews a day.  Since the blog started I have had over 2,800 pageviews!
People are viewing from UK, Germany, Russia and USA (and of course Australia).

More CDR

Me in my apron taken by Fiona at sunset

Nine days Fifteen people - Feed them Well - I did it!!

Well the group left yesterday morning and I thought I would have a relaxing few days before the next lot arrive Wednesday evening.  Well I will but yesterday there was clean up in the morning with the group.   Also a request  made for a certain visitor to dress in red and blue to attend a birthday party for B who turned 5!.  He had a few local friends come from kinder ...  well they probably had to drive around 60 - 80 ks to get here.   He had a lovely day - F decorated and did great food and L organised a big treasure hunt.

Yesterday afternoon we went into Perejori to drop off Myrtle at the mechanics.  Nothing serious - I hope.  Just a service and to check out the squeal when I start the engine!   Back to WW homestead and dinner with L & B and an early night.

Today I will clean out fridges, cupboards, check orders, clean and also a new stove is being installed as the other one had seen better days and did not heat up that well so I am lucky the baked goods turned out as well as they did.

The other morning I went for a walk with K and M (L & F's friends from NE V) down a road on the property and we saw red kangaroos and heaps of different animal tracks along the road.  It was great guessing what they were.  Some obvious but others not so.   You often see emus running around and some followed by chicks.   Some wonderful bird noises as well - one sounds like a pushbike pump.

On the last night with the group was here we went out to red hand rock where there is indigenous rock out stencils and beautiful rock formations.  It is also where the feral goats hang out.  No goats but lots of goat poo.  It was up high and a beautiful lookout.   The group then went out to the Monger Salt Lake which is huge and on the side of the road to Perenjori.  They did sunset there and the photos were amazing.  I will go out another time as I was back cooking and baking beer damper to go with the soup.  I was going to do tuna mornay but some of the group were not keen (the tuna is a home brand stuff and dry and horrible and from Thailand I think).   So I made chicken and vegi soup with a lot of the vegies left and it was yum with the hot beer damper.  We had pikelets in the morning with a bit of jam and cream.  I don't think any of the participants starved while they were here.
I will find time to read today and have a bike ride around the property. 

Pics Earthwatch at CDR

Cooking up a storm

All going well at CDR.  The Victorian teachers are a great bunch and all get on well and appreciative diners!    I haven't been stuck in the kitchen all the time.  One morning I went out with a group at about 5.45 am to drive to 8 sites where traps have been set up.  There are lines of little mesh fences (about 10 cm high)  with buckets put where holes have been dug.  The idea is the little creatures run along to where there is a hole in the fence and fall in the bucket.  There is a little bit of sand in the bottom with say an egg carton (so they can hide underneath).  The team goes out just after dawn  to see what is in the bucket.  Usually a little reptile or a small marsupial.  They measure  and weigh them and record all the data and then release.  Some are bought back for identification or for photographing (usually the thorny devils).   They are seeing what affect predators (cats, foxes) have on the animals.  They go early so the little critters aren't stressed for too long and before it gets too hot.  If they bring a lizard back to the homestead (for show and tell)  it is taken back to the same site and released so it can find its home again (and its mum and dad etc - well I made that bit up).  It was really interesting and the reptiles are such cute little things.  They found a stripey cockroach in one hole. And a monitor curled up in another one.  Also some scorpions and some tiny little snakes.   The group are here for 9 days (they leave Monday) and then on Wednesday another group come here.   On Thursday a journalist and cameraman came from the ABC 7.30 report.  No they didn't film in the kitchen.  They went out in the field with the guys and interviewed L and some of the scientists so keep an eye out for it probably in the next week.

L and F have had visitors as well - friends from Geraldton, Carnarvon and some work colleagues from Wang, so it has been busy here.  I went for a walk one morning with Fi and a friend and the kids went on bikes.  We saw a quandong tree near an old stone water tank.  They are pretty red berries and the emus eat them.  They are so sour though and would need lots of sugar to make jam out of them.

Last night we went for a drive around part of the property and walked up to some high ground where you can look out over the bush and also drove through some amazing groups of trees (which I will have to find out what they were - photos later).  One of guys is an ecologist/botanist and said there are 733 identified plants on the property (trees, flowers, grasses etc).  There are so many amazing wildflowers and new ones appear every day and others disappear.  It is such a wonderful thing to have this as a nature reserve as it just about surrounded by wheat farms so it is such an important part of the country to say it is a "biodiversity hot spot".
This morning L took me and another visitor for a drive to the edge of the salt lakes (there were succulents growing and heaps of wildflowers)  and we saw 3 bustards and then they flew away.

This afternoon I went with L and B into Perenjory and Moorawa (have to check spelling) for diesel.  They are small wheatbelt towns. Nothing open in these towns (except the pub).  It was after midday on a Saturday.  Even the petrol stations were 24 hour cards.  I got reception for my mobile and picked up a few messages.  So for those who don't already know there is no mobile reception here. 

The cooking has been fun and I am amazed how creative I have been with the food.  Googling is a great way to find different recipes and what to do with all the cucumbers I had (I think 18 in all).
Cucumber and Orange salad was delicious.  Tonight I did chili con carne and I think it was the best one I have made even if I do say so myself.   Last night we had a bbq so I had a night off cooking the (well I didn't have to cook the meat),   One of the participants made an amazing potato salad.  The guys clean up in the kitchen after I cook so it is fantastic!      I cooked little orange and almond cakes today with a orange syrup (yesterday I did a banana cake).    Another  day I did zucchini fitters at lunch time.    I just do what I can with the ingredients for lunch as you can't pop down to the shops.  I am enjoying myself and enjoying cooking for other people so I am glad I took up the challenge.

The weather was very hot yesterday and windy however it cooled down today and was beautiful.
It has been easy to get up early with the sun in the mornings.  I don't do breakfast but usually get over to the kitchen early to do a bit of a clean up after they have gone out for the morning.
Last night for them tomorrow (Sunday night) .   I will put some more photos up soon.  It is just that it takes so long to up load.

White Wells - Charles Darwin Reserve

View from Luke and Fiona's kitchen window

Wildflower 2

If any one can tell me what the wild flowers are please do.  I will have to have Luke or Fiona

Wildflowers

At White Wells

More Kitchen Fare

Sunday night I did a very good spaghetti bolognese  and we had a broccoli, zucchini and mushroom salad.  And the anzac biscuits disappeared quickly in the evening.  I am feeling a bit more relaxed about everying and I think the burnt bottom dahl has been forgotten.

I have been reading when I have a break in the day.  I found some of Fiona's old Frankie magazines which I devoured.    lso a book written by William McInnes and Sarah Watt - "Worse things happen at sea".  Beautifully written and some lovely photos.  Just memories of family life.  Memories everyone could identify with from their past.  I cried and then laughed in the next second.  I was crying when he described his mother's dying moments.  When the doctor asked if there was anything she needed, was there anything that was making her uncomfortable and in a small voice she said "Tony Abbott". 

Yesterday morning I cooked some muffins - chocolate, strawberry and banana and some pear, apple and almond meal muffins.    I has lost a bit of weight since leaving home and I now think it is because I haven't been baking.   Well now maybe..

In the evening I did Thai Green Curry Chicken which turned out well but a bit difficult to stir fry chicken and vegs on a large scale and it all ended up in a big pot.   Luke lent me the rice cooker which made everything so easy and I will buy one when I get home.   They have so many cucumbers I have been googling recipes to use them - I did a Thai cucumber and spring onion and chili salad with fish sauce.    A couple of wines to finish up with (which wasn't a good idea as sometimes wine and me mean headache!)  I was going to go out with the crew this morning to check traps but ended up going back to bed. 

This morning I pottered around and made stewed apple as there was a box of grannies and have done the crumble ready for tonight.   

Fiona, Tanami and Banjo came back early today.  Banjo and Tanami have grown so much and it is only 3 months since I have seen them.  It  will be great to have a catch up.

In the kitchen

My beautiful dahl went down hill.   It tasted great and look great but the people arrived an hour late then there was orientation so the dahl got burnt on the bottom of the thin saucepan when I was heating it up and it was definitely affected in a well burnt taste.  Also the rice is a lot harder to cook in large quantities.  Anyway my anzac biscuits won them over.    For lunches they will make their own sandwiches and take out in the field but today they came back for lunch so this morning I cut up cheese, tomato, grated carrot and cucumber and also did a greek salad.  I got on a roll then did tuna, herbs and mayo and then boiled some eggs as well.  They had sliced meats too.   Then remembered after lunch I washed a lettuce that I forgot to get out.   
The group are 10  teachers from Victoria (mixed ages).  They go out and do traps (a lot of digging) and track what kind of reptiles are in the area (and then let them go of course).   It is a research project of how many are back with the reduction of introduced species in the area (goats, foxes, ferral cats).  The leaders are from Earth Watch and Bush Heritage.  
It is a lot cooler today with cloud cover and the wind has come up again this afternoon.

here and there

Cycling on Rottnest Island

One of the beautiful beaches on Rottnest

The biggest lamington i have seen - Rottnest Island Bakery

Myrtle at Lyndon Station

Vines, Wheat and Wildflowers

Yesterday it took about 5 hours to drive from Perth up to Charles Darwin Reserve at White Well Station.  I drove through the Swan Valley Wine Region with vineyards on either side of the highway then through the wheatbelt with wheat as far as you can see and huge wheat storage facilities at the towns on the way.  The the wheat changed to shrubby country and gorgeous colours of purple, yellow and cream spotted here and there.  It was just about dark when I got here (thinking I was never going to get there) and it was great to see a headlight and Luke parked at his front gate as he was thinking I must be getting there soon!   White Wells is Luke, Fiona, Tanami and Banjo's new home.  (they were my neighbours in Stanley)   Luke is managing the property for Bush Heritage as a nature reserve (years ago it was a sheep station).
Tonight a group arrive from Earthwatch for 9 nights to do research etc of animals on the property.  A group of 14 people (scientists and volunteers).  I have just cooked anzac biscuits and will get started on dahl for dinner tonight.  I said I would buy the ingredients  and do the dahl this afternoon as all the food arrives with the participants and I wanted to get a head start.  Earthwatch decide the set menu and order the food and pick up in Perth   so it makes it easier on me as I have not cooked for that many and also would not know how much to get!
F, T and B are away up north and back on Tuesday. So it is quiet at the moment.  It is fairly remote but a small town about 30 minutes away.  It is very hot and windy today.  I will get out and take some photos at sunset.  Gotta go and get the biscuits from the oven...

What day is it?

Sometimes I forget how long ago I did what??  Last Saturday night I camped at Cape Burney south of Geraldton.  A little seaside place.  Since I left home, going up the centre, it has always been a lot of travellers from over the world and Australia.    It was the long weekend and school holidays so most of the people staying at the seaside places are Perth holiday makers.  I am feeling a bit like the odd one out.  It was a cute little park near the beach.  Some tiny little old holiday cottages.  The beach had heaps of seaweed on it.  I drove down to Seabird (a nother park near the beach and also lots of seaweed - not normally like this) and met up with Sandra and Bob who I met in Darwin caravan park.  I spent a nice evening there with them and their friends and then headed into Perth the next afternoon and then stayed at their place in Perth.  Then yesterday Sandra and I headed out to Rottnest Island and had a fun day bike riding around the island.  It is a beautiful place and the beaches are gorgeous.  The water was icey but I had a dip anyway because it was so beautiful.  The weather turned a bit cooler and overcaste just before we were due to get the ferry back to Freemantle so we timed the trip well.  Last night I caught up with Joel (Tom's friend) from Stanley who is studying in Perth and we went to Little Creatures to eat.  I hadn't been there before and it was great to catch up for a chat with Joel.  I slept in the van in Joel's drive way and this morning will head off for a look around Freo.  I was going to walk into Perth from South Perth but it is raining heavily now so that will have to wait.   I haven't seen rain like this in about 3 months!  At least it will give Myrtle a wash.  On Friday I will head up to near Perejori to Charles Darwin Reserve.  Luke from Stanley is working there and I am going to cook for some volunteers and scientists that will be visiting there for a few weeks - then head home - well that is the plan. 

Wanted to let you know

I can look at stats of my blog - from what country the views are made and also how many page views.
This blog has had over 2,500 page views since I started.    Who is reading this?????

travelling south

School holidays started last night so the roads are busier.  I am by the beach in Geraldton and it is pretty and the ocean a gorgeous colour.  Windy though and cooler (as you expect travelling south) so it feels so different.  It is amazing how the body gets used to the constant warmer temperatures that when it is a tiny bit colder it feels sooo much colder.  The landscaped changes on the way down to larger bushes and some wildflowers and then the paddocks with trees and grasses - I found that I was missing the flat plains and spinifex and wide open spaces.  I think the red dirt, heat, remoteness and life style of the north gets under the skin.   Travelling solo has its moments.  Sometimes I have a big smile on my face and I am thoroughly enjoying the adventure and other times it is hard work and I would love someone to be sitting in the seat beside me sharing the journey. (I am sure I have said this before in a previous post but today is one of those days.  People are so important - family, friends, acquaintances - all add to the journey of life and without them it lacks the reflection of who I am.  Add to that nature and landscape we are in and it is an amazing planet!!!  No is midday and I haven't been drinking!  Just waffling on.  AFL grand final today I hear.  Who am I cheering for - neither side really.   It has been lovely to get comments - even if you don't know me and come across my post by accident please leave a comment and say hi.  It would be nice to know who I talking to.  It has also been great to chat to friends on the phone.  I do appreciate the contact and support from home and elsewhere.  Mobile phones can be very handy.  xxxxoooooooo

Pics

Petra, Pinky and Brown dog with Sugar

Sugar looks like she wants to box Brown Dog

Speigltent at Karratha - bizarre

hey Tom

more Speigltent

Spiderwoman visits Lyndon

Lyndon, Red Dirt, Bananas and Rain

I arrived in Carnarvon about 4 pm yesterday.  The bottom road from Lyndon to the highway is about 150 ks - some of the road is good however a lot of corrugation and some parts a lot of small rocks and some sand.  I am very lucky that the river crossing was recently graded so that was good.  It took a few hours longer than it did when I drove the subaru there 3 years ago.  Myrtle certainly doesn't like the rough stuff. 
It was great to have time at Lyndon and catch up with Cath and Sean (and spend time with 4 gorgeous children)  and also to meet up with Sam (Cath's mum) and Chrissie (Sean's mum) who were there to help out.    It was sad knowing that a week before Lyndon had 3 lovely girls working and having fun around the place and in a moment everything can change.  Life moves on after these events and people grieve and pick up the pieces and carry on - cattle to muster, workers to feed, cleaning, children to school, meals to prepare and eat,  and cups of tea and conversations.
Lyndon maybe remote but not at all boring and there is always something to do or someone calling in.   Lyndon is a cattle station 300 k north east of Carnarvon and is about 1 million acres.  It is on the Lyndon River but no water in the river unless there is a bit of rain.   Usually around Broome to Darwin there is a dry and wet season however sometimes around the Pilbara/Gascoyne area they don't get a good rain every year. 
They were doing some mustering when I was there.  Sean goes up in a plane and instructs the guys on the motorbikes on the ground.  When they are in the yards they draught - some go off in the road train on a holiday by boat, others back to the paddocks, or marked or spayed etc. 
I helped out in the homestead and with the kids with school of the air work that Chrissie was doing with them.   Everyone sits down together for a meal in the evenings.  Usually early to bed as it starts early in the morning again.  I stayed four nights then down the road again.
In Carnarvon I bought some fruit and vegies from Doris at Morel's (beautiful fruit and so nice when you buy from where they grow - the most amazing strawberries, paw paw and star fruit).  Carnarvon is such a food bowl.  They have heaps of plantations here and grow wonderful sweet little bananas they are not sprayed like east coast bananas.
Last night I went to the Post Office Pizza Restaurant for a prawn pizza and said hi to Kerron who is a friend of Donna's from Wang.
I am feeling a bit lonely after about a month with company.  Well on the road again......

Farewell Karratha

This morning I said goodbye to Tom and Petra and Julie and Brian - it was so great to hang out with all of you and it is sad to say goodbye but I had to move on sometime and head towards home.  I am now at Lyndon Station.    Mollie-Beetle and Griff have grown and I met Leslie and Saffy.  Griff is 4 tomorrow so it is 3 years since I have been here.
Everyone is still coming to terms with last week's tragic accident.
On Friday night (after pizza night at home with Eddie and Fran visiting)  Tom and I went to the Speigltent in Karratha.  It was part of the Red Earth Arts Festival - very different - sword swallower and all.  Photos later. 

Pilbara

Petra and Tom at a look out in Karratha

"Sugar" being held by Ollie (one of Tom's work mates)

4WD in the sand dunes (we got stuck - but only temporarily)  Then Tom let me have a drive.  I have never driven in 4WD in sand - I was sort of brave.

After digging and a few sticks we are off and away

So hot that we didn't do the walks!  Typical Pilbara scenery.

near python pool

I was so looking forward to a swim on such a hot day - but couldn't because of the blue green algae.  This pool has not seen rain or running water for a while.

"Sugar" is a lovely little orphaned joey who Petra is looking after.  "Sugar" was in the car when the accident happened that took darling Emma.  Emma had been looking after "Sugar" so Petra has taken over the job.  It is so lovely having "Sugar" around - she is so delicate and gets on with the little dogs so well.